Fatal hit-run closes part of Highway 4

Bay City News

Published
4:00 am PST, Wednesday, December 13, 2006

2006-12-13 04:00:00 PDT Pittsburg -- The California Highway Patrol reports that the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 lanes of westbound state Highway 4 between Harbor Street and Railroad Avenue in Pittsburg, along with the eastbound No. 1 lane in the same area, are closed this morning as officials investigate a fatal hit-and-run accident that occurred early this morning.

According to CHP Officer Scott Yox, all affected lanes could remain closed until around 7 a.m. today, significantly impacting the westbound morning commute.

Yox said that at approximately 12:01 a.m. today CHP Officers attempted to stop a suspected drunken driver who was headed eastbound on Highway 4 in a silver GMC pickup truck. The driver finally came to a stop in the No. 1 eastbound lane after pulling partway over onto the center median near Harbor Street.

According to Yox, the driver was uncooperative with officers and refused to follow commands, requiring officers to break out the right side of the pickup's window in order to communicate with the driver.

"The driver then exited the vehicle, broke free of officers trying to detain him and began darting back and forth over the center median before being struck by a hit-and-run vehicle in the westbound lane," Yox said.

The driver was struck at approximately 12:06 a.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene, Yox said. It was later determined that the silver GMC pickup the man was driving had been reported stolen in Pittsburg on Nov. 3.

According to Yox, based on debris from the accident scene, CHP investigators have determined that the hit-and-run vehicle could be a silver Toyota with significant front-end damage.

A Sig-alert is in effect for the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 lanes of westbound Highway 4 and the No. 1 eastbound lane, Yox reported.